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Revenue Act of 1862
The Revenue Act of 1862 was an attempt by the United States Congress to create a larger fund for the Union during the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln signed the bill into law on July 1, 1862. The bill put higher taxes on things largely consumed by people, like tobacco and alcohol. Most of the revenue came from tobacco and alcohol sales, and the Office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue became the IRS. -
First Drunk Driving Law
New York became the first state to have laws against driving while being intoxicated. The only issues with these laws was that "intoxicating" wasn't properly defined and there was no way of having a specific point of drunkedness. California was the next state to adopt these laws, and the other 48 states quickly followed suit. -
18th Amendment
The 18th Amendmnet was an amendment pushed a lot by the temperance movement. It stated that the manufacture, sale, or tansportation of alcohol is prohibited. The 18th Amendment began prohibition, however, it didn't make many things clear. Like what "intoxicating liquor" was andit gave no punish ments. -
Volstead Act
The Volstead Act, or the National Prohibition Act, was an act created as a follow up to the 18th Amendment. The act was to prohibit intoxicating alcohol, regulate manufacturing, sale, and the transportation of alcohol, but not consumption. It also promoted the use of alcohol only for medical, scientific, and spiritual reasons. During the prohibition, organized crime was at it's highest. Almost all prisons were always full, and the court systems were backed up. -
21st Amendment
This is the only amendment of the Constitution to repeal another amendment. It ended the prohibition, and let the manufacturing and selling of alcohol resume. This is the only amendment to be ratified by a state ratyfing committee other than state legislatures. -
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, was created by Bill Wilson in 1935. AA's goal was "to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety". Before AA was created, alcoholism was known as a serious mental health isuue. If you were wealthy you went to a state hospital, but if you were poor you were put in an asylum. AA was created so poor people could achieve sobriety without having to abandon their life. -
Iowa Drinking Age Lowered
After the prohibition Iowa's drinking age remained at 21 for many years. In 1972 that law was lowered to 19, but then, 1 year later, it was lowered to 18. Most states at that time had their legal drinking age at either 18 or 19 also. -
National Minimum Age Act
This act was a way to punish every state that still allowed people under 21 to purchase alcohol. Most states had their law set at 21 after the prohibition, but into the 70s more an dmore states were lowering their drinking ages. Studies show that a young adult's brain isn't fully developed until they are in their early 20s. Scientists proved that drinking while still young can result in dead brain cells and memory loss as you age. -
Sale-to-Minor Charges
For an adult to sell to a minor has always been a major fine, but in 1997 that fine was raised with any more consequences. Before 1997 the fine ranged between $50-$100 bu thten it was raised to a possible $1,500. Depending on how serious the offense was, some liquor stores could get their licenses revoked or suspended. -
Blood Alcohol Content
In 2013, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that all 50 states lower the BAC to .05% to lower the risk of drunk drivers even more. All states currently have a BAC of .08%, but if that was lowered it would be much easier to pick people up for drunk driving before they could harm anyone. In recent years drunk drivers have accounted for nearly 40% of traffic accident deaths.
